Furnace



FURNACE A. D. KEENE iled Nov.

Alvin DKeena ATTORNEY,

Aug. 16, 1927.

WITNESSES:

Patented Aug. 16,

1 UNITED STATES PATENT orrlcs.

um I). m or wm magnum, onIo, nssrenon ro wns'rmonocsn anno- :gmo t mUIAO'!UmG COH2ANY, a CORPORATION orrannsvnvmm.

, FURNACE.

Application ma some, it, 1928. Serial in. 147,871.

My invention relates to furnaces and par- Iicularly to furnaces in which an automatic means is provided for discharging material therefrom. r

An object of my invention is tov rovide an efiicicnt automatically-operating urnace.

Another object of m invention is to pro- .vide a simple and e cient means for discharging material from a furnace. Otherobjects of my invention will be obvioua from the disclosure.

In practicing my invention according to the present embodiment, I provide a plurality of tiltable hearth trays that are 15 adapted to be moved through a furnace and to be periodically and successively en aged by automatically tilting means, to disc argematerial from said hearth trays.

Means are providedto cause the agitation or vibration of the hearth trays at the'time.

' of discharging, thereby insuring the complete discharge of material from said trays.

It has been found that heat-treated material may stick tov the hearth trays, so that 8 not all of thematerial will be discharged neon tilting the trays. My invention provides means for overcoming this diificulty.

In the drawing, 1 Fig. 1 is a view, in vertical cross-section, of a rotary furnace embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a view showing a partial crosssection of afurnace in which a modification of my invention is embodied; and F ig. 3 is a detail view showing the de- 1 velopment of a cam surface used in the operation of my invention.

Referring to the drawing for a more complete description, a furnace 10 is pro vided with an outer 'casing 12 and aninner refractory insulating wall 14. The furnace 1O has an annular chamber 16 therein, in which are located heating elements 18, shown, by way of illustration, as being elec- 45. tric heating elements. These heating elements are, of course, connected to a suitable source of electrical energy (not shown). A structural steel framework 19 is. provided for ensurin that the various parts of the "0 furnace she I remain in their respective operative positions. A- plurality of hearth trays 20 are provided the annular chamber 16 and are so pivotally mounted on supports 22 as to be adapted to be tilted in a direction towards the outer furnacewall. The supports 22 are each, in turn, mounted on columns 24 that are secured to the rim of a wheel 26 that is mounted on the lower end of a vertical shaft 28. The columns 24 will move through an annular passageway 27 located in the bottom portion of the furnace. when the wheel 26 is rotated. tatably mounted imbearing members 29 and. 30. As a further means of rotatably supporting the wheel 26, a plurality of roller that is keyed to a shaft The shaft 35' is rotatably mounted in bearing members 36 and 37. Keyed to the shaft 35 is a Worm wheel 39 that engages a worm screw 40. The worm screw 40 is operatively connected toa prime mover, such as an electric motor 41. It will thus be seen that, when the motor The vertical shaft 28 is ro- 41 is energized, the wheel 26 -will be caused.

to turn, and the hearth trays 20 will be moved through the annular chamber 16.

A discharge conduit 44 is provided, having its outer end immersed in a quenching liquid in a tank 45. The outlet 44 is traversed by heat-treated material discharged frlorn1 the hearth trays 20 when they are ti te Means are provided for discharging each hearth tray as it arrives opposite to the discharge outlet 44. Such means comprises a vertical shaft 46 that is reciprocated by means of a cam member 48. The cam member 48 is driven by suitable means, such as an electricmotor 50, that is operatively connected to the cam member 48 by means of a worm-screw mechanism 52. The shaft 46 extends through an opening 54- in the fur nace wall, the opening being large enugh to permit. the shaft 46 to move up and down freely therein. A roller 55 .is secured to the upper end of the shaft 46 and engages a slot 56 in the drum 48, the slot extending peripherally around the surface at varying" heights: so that the arm 4e wiii he raised anti i then iowei'eci as the cam is rotated. A. snitnhie send eeei may be provideci to seei the top of the opening 54. A guide member 58 may he provided at the top of the fin"- nnce structure to guide the motion oi? the shaft 45. y

The lower end of the shaft $6 is provided with a projection 59 that has as, roller 60 secured to the emi thereof; for enge ement with e hearth trey when the hearth trey arrives opposite to the discharge conduit i. As is shmn in the drawing, the hearth sup.- port 22 is of such dimensions as to ermit the engagement of the hearth tray with the roiier 60. I

Means are provided for nntomaticeiiy so ,controiiingr the motor 59 and the YlflOi/Ol' 41 that the tilting mechanism and the conveyor: mechanism will not he in operation at the sometime. As one form of such means, i have shown :1 conn'nntator member 61 that is keyed to the sheft 28. This commutator member has a series of metallic contact poitions 52, the number being the same as the number of hearth trays, that. are eiectx'iceiiy honnected to each other at their inner ends but. are separated by insulation 63 at their outer entis. A brush 65 is so mounted es to he eiect-iicaiiy connected to the ('onteci portions 622 at all times being properly insulate-ii from the frame. A eeconci brush 66 is insuletcdiy mounted on the frame to he eiectrice. connected to the Contact members (32 succe Yet when the shaft 28 is rotated.

The i) nshes i5 anti 66 are eiecti'icaiiy connected to cond .cto'rs 67 and 68 and in eeries-- circuit relation to the motor 50.

A contact membcr 70 is secured in the vertical shaft 46 but eiectricaii'y insuiuteci therefrom, and. is normally in engagement with a stationary contact member '72 mounted on the furnace structure and eieetriceiiy insniated thereii'om. Vihen so connecteai, a circuit is compietetl through the motor i1,

Means are provided to cause the agitation or vibration of a hearth tray 20 at the time it is being tiited. in the form of my invention shown in Fig. 1, such means com prises a narrow am}, substantially verticei rack 73 having a series of teeth. or nroieothins M thereon. At the piece Where the projection 58 engages the shaft 46, n, suitable roller 76. that, may be either cyiindricni or spherical in shape. is provicied and is adapted to he engaged by the teeth 7?; neon movement of the shaft 46. The rack or toothed he; 73 is located against the inner Wei}. of the finnece chamber opposite to the discharge chute.

From the foregoing (ieecyj'iption, it wiii he apparent thet, when the motor ii is en ergized, the hearth trays will he ceuseii to move through the cheniher 16 When e hearth trey arrives opymeite to the discharge its onto: pivotal outlet i i, e contact. 65?, wiii engage, "Iii he eiectriceiiy connected to, the brush thereby completing the circuit through the motor 50. The motor 50, being c.

therefore, cease. Continued movement oi the shaft isiilii bring the roiiec $30 into e engzigemei'it with the wee or fee: enc oi" e hearth trey Q0 anti cause it to min-be eccn i support.

iihc tiiiing oi the hearth trey 2G cause the discharge of materiel ihi'ongh the outletei. Some e? the misterial, however, might ordinarily s the tray. but ich materiel wiii he ri'eri free from the (my 20 by the humping; action pew duced by engagement of the I'oiier 7% with the teeth "it, so that the materiel viii be compieteiy ciischergeci. from the trey.

Continued rotation the cam 4-8 wiii restore the shaft 4 6, (in-(i, of course, tray .30 to their former positions, one owing; the contact nienihcr 70 into engage ment wi h the contact member '52, honey compieting e circuit through the mot/o? anti again sins-ting the mote: ii. The tion of the shaft and the cominn memi'rer '31, because of the operation otmotor 41.. wiii cam-e the {iieengegement ct the contncc ineini'aer'ffi from the brush. and thereby interi npt the circuit thyonfih t motor The cynic of operation wih then be repeatedv In the moiiiiicetion shown in. Fig. 52, the conveyor inechenimn end the tilting niech nisin are the same as inst tiescrihei, the exception that, insteeticoif prev?" 6 toothed member 1 3 secured to the Wfiii. the inmate, as in F3 1 teeth or n 'i'ecl are piotcicieri on the inner oi enci eiftfne tray time he seen that the teeth 80 Wii, when the tui'nece oi, simiier iievice in which e mo nfbse pietfeiin is; to he mitomaticniiy fiiiwhei'geti.

Whiie I have shown mini Eieseriheii,

purposes of illustration, a particular form of my invention, it may, of course, be embodied in other forms without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a furnace, the combination with a movable hearth, of means for jarring said hearth.

2. In a furnace, in combination, a movable hearth, means for causing said hearth to travel through the furnace. means for movin r said hea-rth to cause the discharge of material therefrom, and means associated with said discharge means to cause the txltm; said hearth, of means for causing jarhearth to vibrate at the time of discharge.

3. In a furnace, a tiltable'. hearth, means for tilting said hearth. and bumping means.

associated withv said tilting means for agitating; said hearth.

t; In a furnace having a conveyor therein,

a plurality of tiltable hearths mounted on.

said conveyor, means for periodically and .suocessively tilting said hearths. and means associated with said. tilting means for agitating saidhearth. y

5. In a heat-treating furnace, in com bination, a niovable'hearth means for moving said hearth for discharging heat-treated materiai therefrom, and a series of projections adapted to engage said hearth-moving means for causing the vib'ation of said hearth ivhen material is discharged.

6. In a heat-treating furnace. in combination. a tiltable hearth, reciprocating means for tilting said hearth to cause the discharge at material therefrom, and stationary teeth for engaging said reciprocating means to member having: projections thereon. and a roller member on said shaft adapted to engage said projections upon movement of said shaft, whereby the heartht ays are agitated when tilted.

8. In a furnace. the combination with a pivotally mounted hearth, and means for ring of the hearth during the tilting, action.

9. In a furnace, the combination with a pivotally mounted hearth. normally located in a substantially horizontal position, a vertically movable leverhaving a roller thereon for tilting said hearth. and means operatively engaged by the roller during the tilting operation for effecting jarring ofthe hearth. y

10. In a furnace. the combination with a plurality of pivotally mounted hearth trays. and motor-actuated means for moving said hearth traysthrough the furnace chamber,

of a motor-actuated lever member for si1ccessively tilting said trays and means operatively engaged by the lever member during the tilting operation for effecting jarring of said tray.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name this 4th day of November, 1926.

ALVIN D; KEENE. 

